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1998-2008: Ten years in the life of Pervez Musharraf

From Oct 7, 1998 when he became chief of army staff to Oct 12, 1999 when he ousted the
Nawaz Sharif government and now, almost nine years later, when he quit Monday as Pakistan’s
12th president, Pervez Musharraf has played a key role in the country’s development.

His political career in a nutshell:

Oct 7, 1998: Appointed chief of army staff.

April 9, 1999: Given additional charge of chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.

May-July, 1999: Kargil conflict in Jammu and Kashmir. Musharraf claims he acted on the orders
of then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Oct 12, 1999: Overthrows Sharif in bloodless military coup; sends him into exile to Saudi Arabia
a year later; dissolves parliament and names himself chief executive, even as then president
Rafiq Tarar remains in office.

May 12, 2000: Supreme Court orders Musharraf to hold national elections by Oct 12, 2002.

June 20, 2001: Appoints himself president.

July 14, 2001: Travels to Agra for summit with then Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee;
talks fail.

Dec 13, 2001: Terror attack on Indian parliament, for which India blames Islamabad-supported
militant groups.

Dec 19, 2001: India and Pakistan almost go to war. India orders largest peacetime mobilisation
along border with Pakistan.

April 30, 2002: Conducts referendum to extend his term to five years.

Jan 12, 2002: Delivers landmark speech against Islamic extremism; unequivocally condemns all
acts of terrorism and pledges to combat Islamic extremism and lawlessness within Pakistan.

Oct 10, 2002: General elections bring Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) to power.

Nov 24, 2003: India and Pakistan declare truce along border.

Dec 2003: Makes deal with six-party religious alliance Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) to
leave the army by Dec 31, 2004 to cobble together two-thirds majority in parliament to
retroactively legalise 1999 coup; later retracts on deal.

Dec 14, 2003: Survives assassination attempt.

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Dec 25, 2003: Survives another assassination attempt.

Jan 1, 2004: Wins confidence vote in Electoral College of Pakistan comprising both houses of
parliament and four provincial assemblies.

Sep 17, 2005: Makes historic speech before broad based audience of Jewish leadership,
sponsored by the American Jewish Congress, in New York, denouncing terrorism and opening
the door to relationships between Israel and Pakistan, as well as between the Muslim world and
Jews worldwide.

March 9, 2007: Suspends Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

March 12, 2007: Lawyers across Pakistan boycott court procedures to protest Chaudhry’s
suspension.

July 6, 2007: Another attempted assassination against Musharraf.

July 8, 2007: Security forces storm Islamabad’s Lal Masjid to flush out fundamentalists.

July 20, 2007: Supreme Court reinstates Chaudhry.

Sep 13, 2007: Islamic militants in North West Frontier Province capture 300 Pakistani troops as
government moves to assert its authority in the area.

Oct 6, 2007: Musharraf re-elected president for a second term.

Oct 18, 2007: Benazir Bhutto returns to Pakistan from exile.

Nov 3, 2007: Musharraf declares state of emergency; suspends parliament, sacks Supreme Court
bench.

Nov 25, 2007: Nawaz Sharif returns to Pakistan.

Nov 28, 2007: Musharraf steps down as army chief; hands over charge to General Ashfaq Parvez
Kiyani.

Nov 29, 2007: Takes oath for second time as president, this time as a civilian.

Dec 15, 2007: Musharraf lifts emergency.

Dec 27, 2007: Benazir Bhutto assassinated in gun-and-bomb attack in Rawalpindi; general
elections scheduled for January 2008 postponed.

Feb 18, 2008: General elections bring Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz,
Awami National Party and Jamiat-e-Ulema-i-Islam to power.
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June 10, 2008: Thousands of Pakistani lawyers led by deposed chief justice Chaudhry begin
Long March to Isalmabad to demand restoration of judges Musharraf sacked after declaring an
emergency.

Aug 4-11, 2008: National Assembly meets to begin impeachment proceedings against
Musharraf; four provincial assemblies ask him to seek trust vote in parliament.

Aug 7, 2008: Pakistan’s ruling coalition says Musharraf must step down or face impeachment.

Aug 18, 2008: Musharraf resigns as president.

Ends.